Journal of Higher Education Research

This comprehensive study investigates the complex interplay of anxiety and motivation in English language learning among international and domestic Chinese students. Through an extensive mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, this research examines how these two distinct student populations experience and manifest foreign language anxiety and learning motivation. The findings reveal significant differences in both the sources and manifestations of anxiety, with international students experiencing higher levels of communication apprehension and acculturation stress, while domestic students demonstrate greater performance anxiety related to testing and evaluation. Motivation patterns also diverge substantially, with international students showing stronger integrative motivation initially, though often shifting toward instrumental orientation over time, while domestic students primarily exhibit instrumentally-driven motivation with emerging integrative elements. The study concludes with evidence-based recommendations for differentiated pedagogical approaches that address the unique psychological needs of each student population, aiming to optimize English learning outcomes for both groups in increasingly internationalized educational contexts.